DECEMBER 2023
It was an away-game-month on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. Shifts in expectations and preparations can help a visiting team succeed. Similarly, the anglers of Kit Lake adjusted their fishing, and Christmas plans in the light of their situations.
At the first of the month, stretches of cold fronts kept the bass and bluegill off the flats. But anglers took a few fish during the afternoon warming with weedless poppers.
Then, a peculiar mid-month storm raised and cooled the water, and pushed the fish down for good. Both cases meant good fishing for deepwater anglers. Sinking baitfish flies like size 10 Myakka minnows presented inside the first drop-off found some reluctant strikes from Largemouth. And patient anglers caught a few crappie near vegetation with very slow, vertical presentations.
Of course, seasonal considerations interrupted. Mrs. Maya skipped a good fishing morning to remove all the buckets, boxes, and bins from her garage where Carolina Wrens nested again. And Mrs. Juliana ignore afternoon flats action to put up her inflatable Minions Christmas decorations on her lawn. Their lights offered a little night fishing for some kids who flaunted Santa.
The bluegill Lilly pads near the pasture shore, perpendicular to the wind, took in fish moved by the cold winds. They were caught with slowly presented weedless, subsurface patterns like OB’s Unicorn Clouser.
Storms and cool rain continued to the end of the month. White pelicans stayed with us, and bass stayed deep. Sinking lines used inside the drop off became the tool of choice for boat anglers. Surprisingly, Colt found a couple of these bass with flies including some black coloration.
In the end, some teams didn’t even get to play this year. So, we hope that you get to chase your fish and your solace in 2024.
